There are four pillars that ingrain black college football into the psyche of sports fans everywhere. Eddie Robinson, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Steve McNair.
Eddie Robinson served as the tenured ambassador of black college football, ushering the sport from segregation into a brave new place of worldwide exposure and acceptance. Everything that the common sports fan knows about black college football, is a direct result of Coach Rob’s influence on the game.
Walter Payton was the first standard of excellence in a post-desegregation sports landscape. The first round pick out of Jackson State in 1975 set a standard of performance, production and humility with one of the NFL’s flagship franchises.
Jerry Rice brought black colleges into the 80’s spotlight with a story of quiet greatness. While he was a highly-touted player out of Mississippi Valley State, no one could’ve anticipated the longevity and prolific impact Rice would have on the game.
And then there is Steve McNair, a player who turned the attention of the 1990’s from many power conference teams and forced it in the direction of Lorman, MS. McNair’s exploits as an Alcorn State Brave were legendary, and unlike black college quarterbacking stars who preceded him, his career spanned more years, yielded more accolades, and did more to legitimize not only the quality of talent at black colleges, but the ability of black quarterbacks entering the NFL.
Steve McNair was the black college football star furthest removed from a desegregated system of NCAA Division I football. With a talent pool all but drained by television exposure and multi-million dollar facilities and payouts at larger schools, McNair excelled in a place and time where talent was judged by who recruited you more than what you produced. And his production was impressive enough for scouts and media to regard his work in high comparison to other potential professionals.
Doug Williams, even with his success on football’s biggest stage, can’t make that claim.
Steve McNair played longer, made more Pro Bowls, won more MVP’s than any other black college quarterback before him. And with every accolade and win he collected, the perspective of him as a black quarterback diminished, and was replaced with the perspective of whether he was a productive quarterback or not.
McNair was the first to take color out of the equation, and while color likely still plays a role in the assessment of QB’s like Donovan McNabb, Jason Campbell and Vince Young, they now enjoy a fairer assessment than they would’ve received without the influence of Mac-9.
There is much to be made about the life and contributions of Steve McNair, but there is no question about his impact on black college football. The numbers are there, the cultural change is apparent, and while the discussion now forms under the most tragic of circumstances, it is nonetheless worthy of having.
Steve McNair is the greatest black college quarterback of all-time.
Mr. Grambling 4:45 am on July 8, 2009 Permalink
OK, what idiot wrote this? Steve does not rank as the greatest Black College Quarterback of all time. Until you win a superbowl all of the other accomplishments dont matter. Doug Williams, the only black quarteback to win a SUPERBOWL is the greatest black college quarterback of all-time. I hate that this has happen to a great player like Mcnair also, and my prayers go out to his wife, kids, and family….. but lets not start making stupid comments while we mourn.
JC 9:46 am on July 8, 2009 Permalink
McNair threw for more yards, had a longer, and arguably more meaningful professional career that yielded Pro Bowl appearances and an league MVP award. You hear debates about Steve McNair and his potential to be in the NFL Hall of Fame. You don’t hear that argument for Doug.
Doug gets all the respect he is due and more for what he has done for black college football, but its not disrespectful to say that Steve McNair was the best that ever did it out of an HBCU.
LJ 11:25 am on July 8, 2009 Permalink
JC, I agree with you. Mr. Grambling has a biasness towards his own and I can understand his support of Doug Williams, but their were MANY great HBCU quarterbacks that have played and have not won a Superbowl but have paved the way for players like Doug Williams. Most notably Grambling alumnus James Harris and Matthew Reed, Tennessee State’s Joe Gillam and the list goes on. If it wasn’t for these guys, who took the criticism, racism and bench, while their less talented white counterpart was the starter, Doug would not have been able to be in a position to play in the Superbowl. McNair had a steller college career and I believe a longer NFL career than any other black quarterback that played in the NFL (Warren Moon came up via the CFL ranks and it wasn’t until to won a Grey Cup that the NFL took notice). All of these guys, no matter where our loyalty lies in HBCU teams, are brothers and I am proud of them all. McNair, may you rest in peace and may God touch your family and friends in this time of bereavement.